Lucius coats adamson



(No Model.)

L. O. ADAMSON.

BOTTLE.

No. 584,837. Patented June 22, 189'7.

ATTOR/VE wires dramas PATENT rricn.

IJUCIUS COATS ADAMSON, OF NE'W YORK, N. Y.

BGTTLE.

SPECIFIC ATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 584,887, dated June22, 1897.

Application filed October 2, 1896.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUCIUS COATS ADAM- sON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of New York city, county of New York, and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBottles, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forminga part thereof, in which similarletters of reference indicate corresponding parts. a

This invention relates to improvements in bottles and means for corkingthem, the object thereof being to prevent the fraudulent reuse ofbottles bearing trade-marks of the bottlers or manufacturers ofproprietary compounds contained therein.

The invention will be hereinafter fully de scribed, and specifically setforth in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figurel is a perspective view of the neck of a bottle, illustrating a portionof myinvention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a locking-bar formingpart thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the neck of a bottle,showing the same corked and locked. Fig. 4. is a perspective view of amodified form of lock adapted for use in combination with my bottle.Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a further modification of alocking-bar, showing the same in connection with the bottle-neck and acork for closing the same. Fig. 6 is a cletail perspective view of thesaid modified form of locking-bar. Fig. 7 is a further modification ofthe device for locking the bottle. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of theneck of the bottle. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a furthermodification for locking the same. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of thetool for opening the bottle, and Fig. 11

. is a perspective view of the plunger used in the operation of corkingthe bottle.

In the practice of my invention I provide any ordinary bottle with asmooth cylindrical neck A, and the inlet thereto is tapereddownwardly,-or ina direction opposite to that of an ordinary bottle, asclearly illustrated by dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings.

In the upper edge of the neck of the bottle Serial No. 607,632. (Nomodel.)

I form downwardly extended grooves B, which are preferably two in numberand located diametrically opposite to each other. These said groovescommunicate with segmental grooves C, which communicate withupwardly-extended vertical grooves D,adapted for retaining locking-barsE. These said bars are composed of some brittle material, preferably acomposition of metal, and they should be supplied witha distinguishingmark. They may also have wire loops 6 secured to the center thereof forhandling them, and they may have upwardly extended loops 6 formedthereon, which are adapted to project beyond the neck of the bottle, sothat the cork may extend therefrom, as illustrated in Fig. 5 of thedrawings. When this form of bar is used, the bottle-neck has an annularrecess a formed therein.

In the modifications illustrated in Figs. 4, 7, and 9 of the drawingsthe disk F takes the place of the bar E, and it is provided withradially-extended projections or lugs f, which are adapted forengagement with the grooves in the neck of the bottle,which must bebroken oif before the disk can be removed. These said projections arepreferably three in number, and when this form of locking device is usedthe neck of the bottle is provided with three grooves, as illustrated inFig. 8 of the drawings. These said disks mayfurther have wire loops 6connected thereto as a means for handling.

In the operation of the invention the bottle may be filled to anydesired height and a cork G inserted within the neck thereof, said corkbeing forced therein by the plunger of any suitable corking-machine to adistance below the segmental slots 0. A bar E is then connected to theslots D, and the pressure within the bottle will force the cork upwardlyuntil it contacts therewith, whereby the bottle is corked and locked,and the cork or stopper thereof cannot be removed until the bar E istaken away, and owing to the brittle nature of the same it will benecessary to break it before removing the cork. Said cork can then bereadily extracted by the use of any ordinary corkscrew, and the bottlewill be useless for refilling because a cork cannot be securely retainedtherein until a bar of the character and size to lit the slots isprocured. Therefore no one but the manufacturer who possesses these barscan reuse the bottle.

For expeditiously corking and locking the bottles the plunger H, asillustrated by Fig. 11 in the drawings, is provided upon its undersurface with a groove 72 for receiving the bars E, and for turning thebars into place after they are forced down into engagement with theslots 0 said plunger is provided with a radially-extended handle h.

The lockin g device, which comprises a disk and radially-extended arms,is attached to the bottle in a manner precisely similar to that asdescribed above in connection with placing the plain bars E.

The opposite ends of the bars E may be of variable contour, and thegrooves in the bottle-neck may also vary in cross-sectional contour tocorrespond to the shape of the said ends for close engagement therewith.This idea is clearly carried out in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings,wherein the ends of the locking device and the grooves are respectivelysquare, semicircular, and dovetailed in con tour.

111 Fig. 9 of the drawings the disk F has a plug f formed integrallytherewith. This said plug has a flexible collar I thereon for engagementwith the interior surface of the neck of the bottle, which takes theplace of a cork, but the projections fmust be broken off before the samecan be removed, whereby it cannot be effectually used as a means forrecorking the bottle.

In Fig. 10 of the drawings 1 have illustrated a means for breaking orremoving the bars, and it comprises a lever 1, fulcrumed to a bracket 2,which has forks 3 upon the feet thereof for engagement with the ends ofthe rods, the said lever having a hook at upon the end thereof, which isadapted to be forced under the rods for breaking and removing them. Thislever may also have a hinged corkscrew 5 attached thereto for uncorkin gthe bottles.

It is obvious that in manufacturing my improved bottles the grooves inthe necks thereof can be made to vary in dimensions as well as incross-sectional contour. The bars for engagement therewith can also varyin shape and dimensions to conform therewith, where by bottles used byone bottler can difier considerably from those used by others, becauseof the variable dimensions of the bars and grooves.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A bottle having substantially L-shaped grooves in the neck thereofand rods of brittle material engaging with said grooves, substantiallyas shown and described.

2. The combination of a bottle having substantially L-shaped grooves inthe neck thereof; with a bar of brittle material located within the saidgrooves and a cork for closing the neck of the bottle, substantially asshown and described.

3. In a bottle, the combination of a pluralityof L-shaped grooveslocated within the up per portion of the neck thereof; with a lookingdevice of brittle material located within said grooves and a cork forclosing the bottle, substantially as shown and described.

at. The combination of a bottle having a plurality of substantiallyL-shaped grooves in the neck thereof which vary in dimensions andcross-sectional contour with a locking device of brittle material havingprojections extended therefrom of variable dimensions which closely fitthe respective grooves they engage with, substantially as shown anddescribed.

5. The combination of a bottle having a smooth neck and adownwardly-tapering inner surface with approximately L-shaped groovestherein with a locking device of brittle material engaging with the saidgrooves, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in pres ence of two witnesses, this 26th day of September, 1896.

LUCIUS COATS ADAMSON.

WVitnesses:

O. SEDGWIOK, B. McCoMB.

